Making a Diagnosis

Acupuncture and Chinese medicine are very old. The written record for this medicine goes back more than 2,500 years, with the oldest texts recording a theory that was already advanced in its philosophy. Presumably, there were even older texts that didn't survive into modern times, predated by a long history of oral tradition. This means that Chinese medicine is older than the modern theories of science, blood chemistry, and microbiology. It is also older than imaging technologies like ultrasound, x-rays, and MRIs. So how did this medicine develop a system of diagnosis? Through the interview process and a logical and systematic interpretation of outward symptoms. The basic idea is that any one part of the body will reflect the health of the whole and that outer, more superficial symptoms reflect deeper imbalances in the internal organs. Because our pulse, tongue, and face are particularly individualized and dynamic, they are the most important areas of focus for diagnosis.